Bremerton candidates both encouraged by primary

BREMERTON — An ambitious door-belling campaign appeared to push City Councilman Greg Wheeler to the top of the three-person race for mayor in Bremerton.

Wheeler, in the lead with nearly 39 percent of the vote, credited a nearly nine-mile a day journey for about two months earlier this year that introduced him to many of the 10,000 homes on his path. He said it helped him to connect with residents and craft a campaign based on economic growth from their responses.

"I was deeply honored by the voters' voices last night," said Wheeler on Wednesday, adding later: "I intend on maintaining a very close connection," with them.

Patty Lent(Photo: Contributed photo)

Wheeler will face this fall two-term incumbent Mayor Patty Lent, who came in second with 33.4 percent of the vote, according to updated results released Wednesday afternoon.

Lent said she was "a little disappointed" with the result but pledged to push her campaign into high gear in late summer and into the fall. The incumbent had knee replacement surgery and between recovery and her duties as mayor, was not able to campaign as frequently as she would've liked. She said she'll be greatly increasing her time on the campaign trail.

Lent pledged to release her strategic plan for her next potential term in the coming days.

Cary Bozeman.(Photo: submitted photo)

Cary Bozeman, a former mayor who is currently a Port of Bremerton commissioner, came in third with 27.7 percent of the vote, spurring his elimination. He felt "heartbroken" by the result, saying of the mayor's position that "there's no better job in the world." But Bozeman vowed to continue his work in bolstering the city's neighborhoods, the signature issue of his campaign.

"I'm not giving up on this," he said of his role on the "Neighborhoods First" initiative he helped spearhead.

The former mayor of both Bellevue and Bremerton credited Lent and Wheeler with running being "tough competition."

"I want to congratulate them both. My hat's off to them," he said, adding later he has not issued any endorsement at this point of either candidate.

Turnout in Bremerton was actually the highest in the entire county, and was an increase for an odd-year primary election in the city. About 30 percent of the registered 20,123 in the city cast a ballot.